US indie studio A24 set to close documentary division, cuts five roles

A24 produced The Deepest Breath aired on Netflix

US indie studio A24 is closing down its in-house documentary division in a move that highlights the challenges being faced across the wider factual industry.

Five roles were cut from the division, which has produced titles such as diving doc The Deepest Breath (Netflix), Steve! about US comedian Steve Martin, and The Sixth, about the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol building.

Documentary head Nicole Stott, who has been with the New York-headquartered company for two-and-a-half years, and head of documentary production Emily Osborne were among those confirmed to be leaving.

Despite the closure of the division, current projects including wrestling doc Death Match, a wrestling doc from the Philippou Brothers, Architecton and Andre Is An Idiot will be completed. According to reports, Stott and Osborne will remain with A24 to complete these projects.

HBO docuseries The Yogurt Shop Murders, meanwhile, had its world premiere at South by Southwest in March.

The news A24 is closing its dedicated docs division is another concerning sign for the documentary business, which was dealt a major blow 13 months ago with the closure of Participant Media, the social impact focused studio that had long been a leader in the space.

For A24, the decision to scale back on its involvement in documentaries comes as its broader strategy shifts towards bigger-budgeted titles, including a feature adaptation of video games Elden Ring and Death Stranding, as well as mixed martial arts movie The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson.